Automatic timing mechanism for oscillating magnetos



G. J. LANG. AUTOMATIC TIMING MECHANISM FOR OSCILLATING MAGNETOS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. l 9I9.

2 SHEETSSHEET I '0 "Hi I w INVENTIOR. a u'farefldfl? gi 4auw ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

G. J. LANG.

AUTOMATIC TIMING MECHANISM FOR OSCILLA TING MAGNETOS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 8. 1919.

11,399,777. Patented Dec.13, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- FMG 4 A TTORNE Y.

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ensravn J. LANG, or wnm-rnwxnn, NEW JERSEY, Assrenon ro arrnnroan Boson Maennro conronnrron, or srnmcrrntn, mnssnci-insnr'rs, a oonronnrron or NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC TIMING MECHANISM FOR OSGILLATING- MAGNETOS.

1 o all 1117mm it may concern:

Be it known thatI, GUsTAvnJ. Lane, a citizen of the United States, residing at Weehawken, in the county oi Hudson, State of New Jersey, have invented certain newiand useful Improvements in Automatic Timing same.

The present invention relates to-automatic timing mechanism :tor Oscillating magnetos, and particularly for association with slow speed engines such as are used for stationary purposes on farms, themagneto being of the y is high tension type for use with a ump spark plug, or of the low tension type with amalre and break apart: plug associated wlth the magneto or separate therefrom, as desired.

literetotore it was customary to crank the engine and trip the magneto manually When the piston of the cylinder to be firedovas 1n retarded position with the priming mixture compressed therein, the magneto being actuated thereafter bythe engine in fully ad vanced position, or the reciprocating actuat ing lever oi? the engine being adjusted gradually by hand or automatically to the timing position according to the speed. I have tound, however, that, particularly with slow speed engines of this kind, ignition at fully retarded position is desirable for thefirst few power impulses, instead of the first one only, whereas tally advanced ignitioniispropel, or at least satisfactory, at all'times thereafter, even it the engine hasbut one cylinder.

Furthermore, it the engine slowsdownon account of overload, even to half its normal speed, :fully advancedignition is preferable to ignition at some intermediate position.

lln accordance with this part of my inventicn, the arrangementis such thatthe ignition is fully retarded tor the first few power impulses, suthcient for the engine to reach a suitable traction of its runningspeed, and

, then changes automatically to fully advanced position without anyintermediate position, the magneto being tripped at the outset by hand or automatically by the'engine, as desired.

Whether or not the timing is; automatically Patented Dec. 13, 1921.

Application filed April 8, 1919. Serial No. 283,611.

advanced in a single step from fully retarded to fully. advanced position while starting the engine, my invention also comprehends the provision oi a. centrifugally-responsive ac: tuatlng member cooperative directly with-the trip lever of the magnetoto produce auto matically retarded ignition in starting and permit advanced ignition in running.

My invention also comprehends asanother .otits parts meansfifor increasing the distort tion of the oscillating springs in starting, whereby. an increased sparking voltage. is generated to ignite the comparatively, cold mixture usually present in the cylinder or cylinders at that time.

Although the atoresaidteatures may be utilized separately or in various combinations within my invention for automatiotiming mechanism for oscillating magnetos, l describe hereinatteras the preferred embodiment an arrangement in which allthefeatures are conjointly applied. In that specific embodiment, atrip actuator isfined in position on a moving part of the engine to trip the magneto atfully advanced position of the, engine, whereas a pivoted member has an operative position in starting to effect fully retarded ignition by preventing the return movement or the trip lever of the mag neto until after a sufficient angle of rotation beyond theposition of actuation by the fixed actuator, and an. inoperative position to whiclrit isswung by centrifugal force efliective-on it at the speed at which the fully advanced ignition attained by the fixed actu ator becomes-satisfactory in the period of the engines operation. More specifically a pin carried by an engine driven gear ispositionecl to trip the oscillating springs of the magneto at fully advanced position of the enginefatter deflecting it to a position at which the springs are distorted to their stressed condition for snapping the magneto through its generating period. A. member pivoted on the gear comprises a curved arm, and a depending Weighted portion. The arm is adapted to overlie the pinto form a trip actuator extendingrearwardly from the pin to the point of fully retarded position of the engine, the trip lever being held in an abnormally deflected position to give an increased distortion lot the oscillating springs untilir snaps overthe end of the arm weighted portion is calibrated to swing the curved arm to its inoperative position out of the path of rotation intercepted by the trip lever at a speed predetermined according to the value from which the engine satisfactorily continues its acceleration to normal running speed with the fully advanced ignition thereafter effected by the pin.

In order that the pivoted member will not swing gradually away from the pin to its inoperative position until that predetermined speed is reached, I prefer to provide a latch for lightly holding the arm against the pin until overcome by the centrifugal force effective at that speed on the weighted portion. In this way, I avoid the additional noise and shock that would otherwise be incidental to starting the engine due to the arm first striking the trip lever and then the pin.

Also I prefer to provide a curved trip lever on the magneto and to round off the actuating edge of the pivoted arm so that the noise and shock when the lever is struck at the beginning of its deflecting movement in the starting period are reduced as a result of the combined rolling and sliding action between them. Likewise I prefer to use a round pin, either carrying a roller or being of one piece, to give the same effect in cooperating with the curved trip lever during running.

As a further refinement, I prefer to provide a manually detachable latch for holding the pivoted member when it is swung to inoperative position. There is then less possibility that the pivoted member will, as a result of some unexpected cause, swing to itsifully. retarded position while the engine is running.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating this preferred embodiment of my invention in'which, as an example, the timing mechanism is mounted on a half-time gear of a single cylinder four-cycle engine,

Figure 1 is a side view of the engine, partly broken away, showing a high tension magneto and the tripping mechanism there for; Fig. 2 is an end View thereof; and F 3 is similar to Fig. 1 except that it shows the oscillatingsprings in distorted position 'just ready to trip.

The pinion 1 on the engine crank shaft 2 is meshed with a halftime gear 3. That gear. has a pin 4 fixed to it so as to rotate in the path intercepted by the trip lever 5 of the high tension magneto 6 having the oscillating springs 7.

- The pivoted member loosely mounted on thestud 8 comprises a curved arm 9 anda weightedportion 10 depending therefrom, so as to move, in response to centrifugal action upon rotation of the gear, from its position of rest in starting shown in full lines to its position of deflection in running shown in broken lines. In the starting position, the curved arm 9 abuts against and overlies the pin 4, extending rearwardly thereof. In the running position, the arm 9 occupies a position entirely out of the path intercepted by the trip lever 5.

The trip lever 5 is adapted to be deflected by the curved arm 9 to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 3, whereupon the oscillating springs 7 are distorted and held in distorted position until the trip lever passes beyond the trailing end of the arm. The springs, then stressed, snap the armature of the magneto through its generating period. However, when the curved arm 9 is swung to its operative position, the trip lever B is deflected by the pin 4 to the position indicated by the broken lines in Fig. 3, the oscillating springs 7 then being distorted to a lesser degree and snapping over the pin at a slightly reduced speed. The sparking volt age generated upon oscillation of the armature from the position to which it is deflected by the pin 4 is suliicient to generate a satisfactory spark at the gap of a high tension spark plug in the cylinder of the engine when the engine is running. At starting the more intense spark required for ignition ol comparatively cold mixture is produced as a result of the increased distortion of the springs by the curved arm then overlying the pin.

The pin 4: is so positioned as to release the trip lever 5 at fully advanced ignition of the engine, whereas the arm 9 has sui'lieient circumferential extent to hold the trip lever in deflected position until fully retarded ignition is reached. The weighted portion 1 0 of the pivoted member may be so calibrated as to swing the arm 9 to its inoperative position when the engine attains about half its normal running speed. I have found in many cases that about half speed is not reached until the engine has received several power strokes, and at about that speed the lgnition may be changed. in a single step from the fully retarded position to the fully advanced position with satisfactory results in operation.

The actuating edge 11 of the pivoted member is round, and likewise the pin 9 is round, so that the action of either of them with the curved trip lever 5 in distorting the sprin 7 is rolling as well as sliding. Thus the noise and shock of the engagement between them. in starting as well as in running. is reduced.

rrtta 'hed to the curved arm 9 is a spring clip 12 adapted to lightly hold the pivoted member in operative position, the centrifugal action effective on the weighted portion 10 being suflicient at the change-over speed desired to disengage the latch in addition to swinging the arm to its inoperative position. In this way, the arm is prevented from occupying an intermediate position in which .it would first strike the trip lever 5 tit income and then the pin 4:, thus obviating unnecessary noise and shock at some of the ignition periods in starting.

The spring clip 13 catches the pivoted member and disengageably holds it, until re leased by hand, whenever it is thrown over to inoperative position, so that it cannot swing back as a result oi? some unexpected cause.

To start the engine from rest, the pivoted member is unlatched by hand from the spring clip 13, whereupon it turns to the position in which the curved arm 9 overlies the pin a. If necessary, the cylinder is primed. Eimaller engines may then be cranked by hand, the charge being compressed as" the engine is turned over dead center, whereupon the magneto will be operated and the mixture ignited. It the en ginestarts into action under its own power, the curved arm 9 remains latched by the spring clip 12 until about half normal. speed is attained, during which time several power impulses are gone through. As soon as the pivoted member responds to the centrifugal action effective on the weighted portion 10, the ignition occurs at the fully advanced position as a result thereafter oi the actuation oi the trip lever 5 by the pin 4 instead of by the curved arm 9.

If, however, the engine is too powerful to be turned completely over, the trip lever 55 may be cockedbv hand in a deflected posi tion and the engine turned past dead center with the inlet valve open. Then aiiter the cylinder is primed, the fly wheel may be rocked to compress the mixture and the trip lever releasedby hand at the proper moment. Or, the engine may be started by a battery ignition system atter the priming mixture iscompressed in thecylinder.

Having thus described my invention, what a claimis: i

3 1. The combination with an intern al. combastion engine, of ignition generating; apparatus thereior comprising an oscillating magneto, and means for oscillating said magneto in fully retarded or advanced positions, said means comprising means auto matically actuatedby said engine for changii the period of actuation of an oscillating means from full retard to full advance inn single step.

The combination. with an internal coml m,...-ion engine, of ignition generating apparatus tl'ioreior comprising an oscillating magneto, and means for oscillating said magneto in retarded and advanced positions or several consecutive power strokes for starting the engine and for normal running operation of the engine respectively, said means comprising means actuated by said engine for automatically changing from the fully retarded to the fully advanced positionin a single step.

3. The combinationwith an internal combustion engine, of ignition generating appa-ratns therefor comprising an oscillating magneto having a trip lever, and centrifugally-rcsponsivc actuating mechanism which, at starting, is positioned to actuate the trip lever at a retarded position and which, at running, is positioned in an inoperative position.

i. The combination with an internal co1nbustion engine, of ignition generating apparatus therefor comprising an oscillating; magneto having a trip lever, and centrifupgally-responsive actuating mechanism, which, for several consecutive power strokes in starting, is positioned to actuate the trip lever at retarded position and which, immediately thereafter, is positioned in an inoperative position.

5. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of ignition generating appa ratus therefor comprising an oscillating magneto having a trip lever, an actuating member fined in. position on a moving part oi the engine tor actuating the trip lever at an advanced position, and centriiu rally responsive actuating mechanism which, at starting, actuates the trip lever at a retarded position. and which, at running, assumes an inoperative position.

6'. The combination with an internal combustion engine, oi? ignition generating apparatus thereior comprising; an oscillating magneto having a trip lever, centriiturrallvresponsive actuating mechanism which, at sta 51', actuates the magneto at a retarded position and which, at running, assumes an inoperative position, and disengageable means lightly holding said mechanism in its starting position.

7. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of ignition generating); apparatus therefor comprising an oscillating magneto having a trip lever, an actuating member hired in position on a moving}; part of the engine for actuating; the magneto at an advanced position, a centriiug dlv-responsive actuating; member which, inmactnates the magneto a retarded position and whic i. atrunninrr, assumes an in operativeposition, and a latch lightly holding the centriiuo'allyo'esponsive member in its starting position.

8. The combination with] an internal comhustionengg'ine, oi ignition generating apparatus tl'ieretor coinprising an oscillating; magneto having a trip lever, centriifngrallyresponsive actuating mechanism which, at starting, actuates the magneto at a retarded position. and which, at running, assumes an inoperative position, and disengageable means lightly holding said mechanism in its inoperative position.

9. The combination with an internai com bastion engine, of ignition generating; ap-

paratus therefor comprising an oscillating magneto having a trip lever, an actuating member fixed in position-on a moving part of the engine for actuating the magneto at an advanced position, centrifugally-responsive mechanism which, at starting, actuates the magneto at a retarded position and which, at running, assumes an inoperative position, and a latch lightly holding the centrifugally responsive member in inoperative position.

10. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of ignition generating apparatus therefor comprising an oscillating magneto having a trip lever, an actuating member fixed in position on a moving part of the engine for actuating the magneto at an advanced position, centrifugally-responsive mechanism which, at starting, actuates the magneto at a retarded position andwhich, at running, assumes an inoperative-position, disengageable means lightly holding said mechanism in its starting position, and disengageable means lightly holding said mechanism in its inoperative position.

11. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of ignition generating apparatus therefor comprising an oscillatingmagneto having a trip lever and an oscillating spring, an actuating member fixed in position on a moving part of the engine for actuating the magneto at an advanced position, and means connected to and actuated by a movable part of said engine for moving said trip lever to an abnormally deflected position to abnormally distort the spring.

12. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of ignition generating apparatus therefor comprising anoscillating magneto having a trip lever and an oscillating spring, an actuating member fixed in position on a moving part of the engine for actuating the magneto at an ad- 'vanced position, and a centrifugally-responsive actuating member overlying the fixed actuating member at starting.

13. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of ignition generating apparatus therefor comprising an oscillating magneto having a trip level and an oscillating spring, an actuating member fixed in position on a moving part of the engine "for actuating the magneto at an advanced position, and a centrifugallymesponsive actuating member which, 1n starting, overlies the fixed actuating member and abnormally distorts the spring.

14. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of ignition generating apparatus therefor comprising an oscillating magneto having a trip lever, a pin fixed in position on a rotating part of the engine for periodically tripping the magneto at an advanced position, and a pivoted member having an arm adapted to overlie the pin to hold the trip lever in an abnormally deflected position until the engine reaches a retarded position in starting, and also having a weighted portion adapted to swing the arm to an inoperative position when the engine attains a predetermined speed.

15. The combination with an internal combustion engine, of ignition generating apparatus therefor, comprising an oscillating magneto having a trip lever, a pin fixed in position on a rotating part of the engine for actuating the magneto at an advanced position, a pivoted member having an arm adapted to overlie the pin to hold the trip lever in a deflected position until the engine reaches a retarded position in starting and also having a weighted portion adapted to swing the arm to an inoperative position when the engine attains a predetermined speed, and a latch adapted to lightly hold the pivoted member in starting position until the predetermined speed is attained.

16. In an oscillating magneto. a curved trip lever, and a curved centrifugally responsive actuator with a rounded actuating part having a rolling and sliding action with the trip lever in deflecting it.

1?. In an internal combustion engine having an ignition device comprising an oscillating magneto, the combination of oscillating means on said magneto, means actuated by said engine for operating said oscillating means in advanced timing position for the normal operation of said engine, and speed-responsive means actuated by said on gine for operating said oscillating means in retarded timing position in the starting operation of said engine.

18. In an internal combustion engine having an ignition device comprising a magneto, the combination of movable ignition effecting means on said magneto, means on said engine for operating said movable means in advanced timing relation during the normal running operation of said engine andmeans actuated by said engine to automatically operate said movable means in retarded timing relation during the starting strokes of said engine.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

GUSTAVE J. LANG. 

